


His Redemption

by Reindrops



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, POV Uchiha Sasuke, Post-War, Redemption, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto Friendship, Uchiha Sasuke Returns to Konoha, Uchiha Sasuke-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:47:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28497063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reindrops/pseuds/Reindrops
Summary: Sasuke returns to the village after his search for redemption and gets jealous of Naruto and Sakura’s teamwork.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke
Comments: 2
Kudos: 94





	His Redemption

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this all in one sitting and am extremely tired, but I received this prompt and ran with it. Hope you enjoy.

When Sasuke came back to the village, he had expected there would be much changed. After the war, he hadn’t really had a chance to see how the village had changed since his genin days. The village was repairing the damage done, so everything was in disarray. Sasuke couldn’t allow the ghosts from his past to haunt him, so he’d set out as quickly as he could to condone for his sins.

Redemption was hard and not at all what he had pictured when he had first embarked. If anyone had asked him what redemption would look like, or when he would know he had completed his task, Sasuke didn’t know what his answer would have been. He hadn’t expected to get to know the land, the people so thoroughly. The farmers, the builders, the healers all were in need of great help after the damage the war hard wrought. 

Sasuke was happy to help.

He knew most everyone in Konoha thought it was weird Sasuke was out roaming the wilds and helping other lands and villages and people rebuild after the war over his own village. It was weird. But he couldn’t stand to be in the same village where he had to listen to the whispers, ignore the stares, and avoid thinking about what he had done. The memories and feelings nearly overwhelmed him.

It was better to be away, to move on from the war, to think about everything that had happened, everything he had learned. Sasuke needed to process his own feelings and trauma and figure out a way to become a person that could walk through the gates of his village and be proud of something.

It had taken a few years, but Sasuke had found a part of the redemption he had been searching for. He had bridged a gap with many of the people that had been tormented from the war. He had done a lot of good, and he knew it would never make up for the things he had done. But he thought it was a good start.

The only thing left was to make amends with the people he had hurt, the people from home. He felt like the only way to do that was to go home and face the problem head on. So when he made it back to the village, he headed straight for the hokage tower and didn’t fight it when Kakashi put him back on the roster for missions. Without having to actually say much, Sasuke knew Kakashi understood what he wanted to do, what he needed to do.

Before he left the tower, he turned his head as he opened the door. “Thank you, sensei.”

Kakashi merely nodded, and his eyes shifted in what Sasuke was hoping was a smile. Taking that as an affirmation, Sasuke had left, hoping to walk around the village and reacquaint himself.

A shock of pink caught his peripheral, and his breathing hitched. He wasn’t sure he was mentally prepared to see her just yet. But she had seen him and was soon standing before him.

“Sasuke, welcome back,” her smile lit up her whole face, and he had forgotten how beautiful she was. 

He nodded, thanking her.

“Are you going to be back for very long?” she sounded hopeful, and he didn’t allow himself to wonder if she had waited for him or if she had found another.

“Yes, I think I will,” Sasuke replied.

Her face brightened at his words, and he wanted to ask her a million questions: did she still think of him, did she hate him, did she want him to stay? He was hopeful.

“That’s great!” She glanced at her watch and cringed. “My lunch break is almost over, but want to get together later?”

“Sure,” he nodded.

“Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow,” she gave him another smile before turning, stopping herself to turn back to him and say, “It really is great to have you back, Sasuke.” Then she turned and continued on without waiting for a response.

* * *

After securing an apartment at Kakashi’s recommendation, Sasuke wondered how long it would take before Naruto caught wind he was back. The answer was a couple hours. Naruto showed up, pounding on the door to be let in. .

The war had changed Naruto, subtly, but there. He was still loud and obnoxious as ever, but it seemed more subdued. He wasn’t as hot tempered and frantic, more mature. It was different looking at Naruto as an equal versus his nemesis, someone he had to compete against, to prove himself to. 

Naruto was just Naruto, someone who didn’t hold a grudge or ask much. He treated Sasuke as though no time had passed for them. Naruto was a friend, and for the first time, Sasuke could think it and say it and not feel as though he needed to hide it. 

Naruto invited him for ramen, and Sasuke didn’t feel he could refuse. 

It was just the two of them when they first arrived, but shortly after ordering, pink hair filled his vision, as Sakura pulled him into a hug. “Sasuke, good to see you again.” She pulled away quickly, and Sasuke couldn’t help but think genin Sakura would have clung to him for as long as she could get away with it.

Sasuke nodded, thanking her, before turning back to his bowl of ramen being placed in front of him. 

“Sakura, I ordered you a bowl, I was hoping you’d end your shift early,” Naruto pushed the extra bowl Sasuke had assumed was for himself towards the open chair on Naruto’s other side. 

Expecting Sakura to sit beside him, Sasuke was surprised when she chose to sit beside Naruto instead. The evening was pleasant, and Sakura and Naruto filled the silences with stories of their days.Sasuke listened and watched, feeling only a twinge of jealousy at their ease around each other, at the afable relationship they now had. 

The jealous twinge only worsened over the course of the next week when Sasuke would train with Sakura and Naruto. The two were in sync, knowing when to dodge, lunge, strike, fall back without having to say a single word. They had perfected a couple of jutsus working in tandem. Meanwhile when Sakura and Sasuke had teamed up against Naruto, it had felt disjointed and choppy. 

Logically that made sense. Naruto and Sakura had been training and fighting together for years. The last time he had fought with Naruto, that had been on opposite sides and they’d both lost an arm. The last time he had fought with Sakura, she had thought he was trying to kill her. The memories were painful to think of.

After training, Sasuke would walk with Sakura back to her apartment, occasionally stopping for a smoothie. Sometimes Sakura spoke of things she needed to work on from the training, or medical texts, or the children's hospital she worked at, but mostly, they walked in companionable silence.

Sasuke wondered how long it would take for Sakura and him to have the kind of camaraderie and ease Naruto and she had. At Sakura’s door, she turned and held his gaze, “I feel like something’s bothering you. Do you want to talk about it?”

Sasuke debated not saying anything or waving off her concern. But hadn’t he wanted to do better, to be better? Letting out a breath, he shrugged and said, “It’s just hard seeing how well you and Naruto work together.”

Frowning, Sakura seemed as though she wasn’t quite sure what to say, “As opposed to you with us?” When Sasuke nodded, she continued, “That’ll come with time. Naruto and I have been a team since we were 12. We’ve had years of practice together. You can’t have expected us to be in sync after only a few days. Give it time.”

Sasuke felt a pang of guilt and wondered if he’d ever stop feeling guilty for leaving, for splintering their team. “I know.”

“You’re back now, and that’s what matters most,” she nearly reached for his hand, but then she pulled back and took a step back towards her door. “Well, have a good night, Sasuke. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Sakura, I am sorry about everything, for my part in the war, and everything up to it.” Word vomit, as some would call it. He hadn’t meant to blurt it out, but at the time, it just felt right. He needed to get it out, off his chest. She deserved an apology, and he was doing a disservice waiting so long to give one. 

Surprised, she turned back, “I know you are.”

“And for leaving for so long.”

“I’m just glad you’re back,” a tentative smile appeared, and he could have kissed her. He wanted to. How many nights did he dream of doing just that?

He nodded and let her go into her flat, kicking himself for being a coward.

* * *

A month into his new life in the village, and he had fallen into a bit of a routine. Routines were good, they helped him focus. After fitful nights’ sleep disturbed by nightmares of screaming and blood, he’d head to the hokage’s office for any missions available, he’d usually get done when Sakura got off work at the hospital, and they’d meet Nartuo at the training grounds. Sometimes they got dinner together, other times he walked Sakura home.

Every time, he tried to get the courage to ask her out, but every time, he chickened out. 

During one sparring session, Sasuke and Sakura were teaming up against Naruto and his clones, Sakura’s tai-jutsu was unreal, and he could watch the muscles in her thighs and arms flex for days as she fought her way through the melee.

Somehow Sakura tackled the real Naruto to the ground, straddling his waist and taunting him.”Pinned you,” she smiled devilishly as Naruto’s hands were pinned to his sides, unable to move to perform a jutsu. “I win.”

Sasuke watched as Naruto yelled about it being unfair and Sakura only teased him harder. The pang of jealousy reared its ugly head. Turning and heading to his bag, he heard the other two scramble after him. 

“Sasuke, what’s wrong?” Sakura asked, “Are you done? We could switch up teams if you want?”

He shook his head, grabbed his bag, and headed off the training fields. After several moments, Sakura appeared at his side, her bag slung over her shoulder. Naruto must have gone home.

“Do you want to talk about whatever is bothering you?” Sakura asked after they’d walked almost all the way back to her apartment in silence.

“I’m fine,” he shrugged hoping she’d drop the issue. 

“Does it still bother you about how close Naruto and I are?” she asked, seeing right through him. When he didn’t say anything, she continued, “You always get quiet after the training sessions if Naruto and I do really well.”

Sasuke chose not to say anything, he knew he had no right to feel as he did..

“It’s okay you know, to feel that way. But the bond you have with Naruto is really special, too.” Sasuke noted she didn’t include herself, and after several moments of silence, it appeared she wasn’t going to.

How did he tell her he wanted to be with her, that he was jealous of Naruto because he knew Sakura on a whole better level than Sasuke, that he wished like hell he could have switched places with Naruto today. He couldn’t get the words out; there was no right way to tell her how he felt.

They were now at her door, and Sasuke was suddenly stricken at the thought of her going into her home thinking she didn’t mean anything special to Sasuke. Forcing himself to get the words out, he said, “Can we start over?” 

She furrowed her brows, “Start over? I mean, sure, we can pretend nothing happened.”

“No,” Sasuke took a breath, gathering his wits, “I mean, would you want to go on a date with me, Sakura. Start fresh. We have a bond, too, and I know I broke your trust, but I’d like to earn it back.”

Sakura’s face didn’t move, and he wondered if she was having a stroke or something. But then her mouth gaped open, and she struggled to find the words. He knew the feeling. 

“You want to go on a date?” She asked. “With me?”

“Do you see anyone else standing in front of me?” 

“‘I’ve only been waiting since I was 12 to hear those words. Seems surreal to finally hear you say it,” she finally smiled.

“I’m sorry it took me so long.”

“Can you say it again?”

He gave her a half smile as he stepped in close, “Sakura, will you go on a date with me?”

“I will.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed, please leave a comment, kudos, subscription. Thank you! :)


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